


Strangers Secluded

by emorisupremacy



Category: The Wilds - Fandom
Genre: F/F, The Unsinkable Eight (The Wilds), The Wilds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:08:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29908473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emorisupremacy/pseuds/emorisupremacy
Summary: Leah and Fatin continue to explore their growing relationship while still facing challenges and difficulties on the island. Leah's mental health continues to spiral as she grows more suspicious of circumstances of the plane crash. Fatin joins in on the mission for the truth about the island.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Strangers Secluded

Chapter 1

It had been a few days since Leah’s breakdown and the days continued to morph into each other. At this point, Leah was so disconnected from the harsh reality they were unforgivingly dropped into, she couldn’t even remember how long they had been on the island. But it felt like months. Leah’s exhausted body lay by Fatin’s prominent pink suitcase. She was pale and cold. Her hands tucked in between her knees and head resting on a scrunched up top, one of Fatin’s obviously. This scene was only disturbed by Fatin’s hourly check-ins. She’d hover her hand over her dehydrated lips and feel for her warm breath. She was always okay but Fatin needed to be sure. It was strange, she had never given much thought to Leah before but now she was all that was on her mind. 

Even at school, she was just another face. But Fatin found herself caring deeply for her in ways she couldn’t dare to admit and wouldn't touch. It wasn’t shame of liking someone of the same sex, Fatin never really cared about that. It was the crushing weight of her feelings, they’d always manage to destroy everything in her path whether she wanted that or not. She simply felt too much and let it out too little. But Fatin had come to an agreement with herself, if you don’t attach yourself then you won’t get hurt. At least hurt from other people. She could barely manage her own self inflicted pain 

Another hour had passed. Fatin left the clothes she had been washing in the cold salty sea water and laid them out on the rocks, ready for the sun to hit them and to be worn another day. Another day on this island. As she made her way to Leah’s nest. She noticed she was awake. She paused for just a second to brush the sand off her dirty jeans. She approached slowly and seated herself next to Leah who looked confused. “Hey. Good morning.” Fatin told her, sarcasm implied but not emphasised in her voice as if this was an actual good morning.

It took a minute for Leah to speak, her head still fuzzy from the drugs. She stretched her legs out in front of her. “Thank you” her voice cracking. “For what?” Fatin knew, she just wanted to hear Leah say it out loud. “For, you know.” she looked down at her cold hands, traces of sand lingering underneath her short fingernails. “Just thank you.” she didn’t need to say it, her eyes said it for her. Fatin was bewildered by those eyes yet again. The way they told you so much if you just took the time to really look. They had some magnetising effect, pulling you in and leaving you with more questions than answers. 

Fatin pulled her knees to her chest, capturing the warmth of her own body. “You wanna come get some water with me? It’ll do you some good to stretch your legs.” Her tone was insistent, but not pushy. Leah detailed the way Fatin could make you say yes to practically anything. Leah nodded, still not in the mood to talk. 

Leah waited at the fabricated path built by the girls' constant footsteps as Fatin quickly informed the others of their quest. She brought with her the pink visors, supplied graciously by the Dawn of Eve. She secured it to her head and then gave Leah a playful tip of her hat. It brought a slight smile to her face. They walked slowly, Leah’s stride being noticeably larger than Fatin’s. Leah spoke again, straight to the point. Not wasting time on the small talk that somehow always accompanied these difficult conversations. Leah couldn’t understand why people wouldn’t just say what they mean. Anything else was feeble. “The others. What did they say about my, you know…” she found it hard to say the words. Not only because she wasn’t entirely sure what to call it but also if she did put a label on it then there would be no escape. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and traipse in denial.

Fatin intervened before Leah’s mind could spiral into even more chaos. “They didn’t say anything.” they both stopped walking, Fatin’s body turned a little into her. “No one’s judging you, Leah. We’re just scared for you.” Fatin’s words fell short, not having the intended comfort they meant to. “I just mean-” Fatin tried to add before Leah interrupted. “I get it, Fatin. I’m scared too. I don’t think there’s been a time in my life when I wasn’t afraid.” Leah’s body turned slightly to Fatin’s, a reflex she couldn’t fight. “Of what?” there go the eyes, pulling her in again. “Everything.” she told her. It was an obvious answer but Fatin couldn’t help but wonder what she meant exactly and she knew it would not be easy to get her to explain. Leah was so complex, above anyone she's ever met. It’s like she feels everything at a volume of ten and there’s no turning it down or shutting it off. 

It's just always there, being an unwelcome and cruel company. One that Fatin could sense and relate to. Fatin lived her life in anger, but it hadn’t always been this way. She still remembered a time when life was nothing but good but that was before she learned what the strings attached to being a woman, a daughter and an expectation of greatness. They continued walking down the narrow path, literally being pushed closer together by the crowd of bushes on either side of them. They didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the journey. Silence was sometimes comforting with the right company. 

As they reached the familiar sound of fresh falling water. Fatin noticed one single tear fall quickly fall from Leah’s eye. It fell straight to the ground, hitting the dirt with all the weight it carried. Leah took no notice of it and continued to the stream of water. Fatin revealed the cans from her wide jacket pockets and gifted Leah a couple. They both leaned down, placing the cans delicately in the water letting the water guide itself through the opening. 

As they continued this routine of filling up the cans, Leah began to notice the calluses on Fatin’s hands. Prominently focused on the tips of her four fingers. Part of them looked like they had begun to heal. “Did you play guitar or something?” Leah gestured her eyes to Fatin’s fingers, wrapped around the can. “Cello.” she corrected her. “Were you any good?” Leah’s voice cracked again. And she smiled with genuine desire to know more about the woman who had taken care of her when she needed it most. “Good enough to have my own rehearsal studio built for me.” Fatin’s tone wasn’t appreciative or braggy, more displeased. 

Fatin realised her own entitlement and began to correct herself. “I used to love playing cello. It’s the one thing I’ve been really good at. The one thing in my life I could completely control.” Fatin removed the full can from the water and began filling up the second. “So what changed?” Leah asked, not paying attention to the can which was already filled with the water that her hand was now completely submerged in. The water was bitter in it’s temperature and it pained her to leave it there but it was a subconscious reflex that had become second nature to her. Not the act of plunging her hands into freezing cold water but the tendency to commit self sabotage in every opportunity that presented itself. “My parents. They just don’t know how to let a good thing be a good thing.” Fatin repeated the movements she had earlier. There was another moment of silence and their eyes shared the same sparkle. Leah took her hand out of the viscous stream. The blood rushing to fingers and creating a tingling sensation. They both stood up, carefully retrieving the overflowing cans from the ground. In hindsight, it probably would've made more sense to bring the suitcase so they could have collected more water for the group but Fatin didn’t want to ruin this time together by making it a chore.

As they returned to the small path that pushed them together yet again, Fatin felt her eyes become heavy and a pit began to grow in her stomach. “I can’t believe we're still here.” Fatin exclaimed. She stopped in her tracks like they had done on their journey here. “Why hasn’t anyone come for us yet!” Fatin’s tone was desperate and she could feel herself getting worked up, the water from the can spilling and splashing on her hands. Leah placed her cans on the ground and proceeded to take the others from Fatin’s grasp and place them next to her own. Fatin, confused but curious about her actions let her and what happened next was just as unexpecting 

She enveloped Fatin in a hug. Her arms wrapped around Fatin’s biceps, her head slightly hovering above the crook of her neck. Being cautious to not get too close just in case Fatin rejected this bit of intimacy. This action didn’t just surprise Fatin but Leah too. But this island brought surprises for everyone. Fatin’s first instinct was to pull away but somehow that thought didn’t communicate with her body. Instead she just stood there, letting Leah do all the work but eventually she returned the hug. Delicately placing her hands on the points of her shoulder blades. And with this, Leah let her head connect into the shape of her neck. Fatin shut her eyes tight. Tight enough to create universes of blurred spots and bursting colours much like the ones from the leaves that watched them. But Leah kept her eyes open and alert, like she was waiting for something to happen, something that might hurt her but it never came. 

Although it seemed like hours they were embraced, in reality it was just a few minutes. A few minutes of peace and calm that seemed to change their whole dynamic. Suddenly they didn't know how to act around each other. Like all their previous encounters never happened and this was the first time they met. And maybe they did, maybe this was the first time they had truly met each other. Without the burden of social cues or small talk, with the presence of the other girls that felt like spectators watching their every move. But again, reality was much more dull. No spectating eyes studying them like a performance. Just two people who happened to go to the same school and happened to wind up on this hellish island. Okay, so their reality wasn’t so dull. 

There was a shift in the mood. Both Fatin and Leah felt they had overstayed their welcome, pulling away from each other's embrace at the same time. More silence, followed by them picking up their cold cans of fresh water and continuing down the beaten path. The journey pack felt quicker, time on this island was so feeble. Things that should last, leave and things that should come by them quickly lingered for an unwelcomed amount of time. This island was cruel and taunting and beautiful and mysterious and a perfect place to think and overthink and dwell and sympathise and cry and laugh and have fun and mourn. This island was just an island and so much more at the same time. It was essentially, anything you needed it to be. 

The beach remained the same as they left it, the rest of the girls sat solemnly. The grief had set in, affecting each one of them at the same time. It’s as if there was a shift in the atmosphere, a wave of misery washed over all of them much like the physical waves did only a few days before. But that bathed them in a sense of peace and this feeling was much different and much more cruel. Leah and Fatin joined the rest of them in their circle of sadness. Fatin sat opposite to Dot who was twirling a stick in her palms. And Leah sat on top of Fatin’s suitcase, tired of the cold sand she had spent hours tied to before. They both passed out the water they had collected and joined in the silence and in turn, the absence of hope. Fatin removed her pink visor, the bit of fun she had when she first put it on now buried underneath all this hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> HII. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I love these characters and their dynamic. I'm planning on making this 5-7 chapters long (depending on how long the chapters are) Thank you for reading! -Jade


End file.
